Footage of Aya Youssef dancing sparked an outcry in Egypt
A viral video of a teacher in Egypt dancing during a Nile cruise has sparked anger among conservatives in the country, but women's rights activists are speaking out in her support. Aya Youssef was fired from her job and divorced by her husband after she was filmed belly-dancing during the social event, reports Egypt Independent. Footage that was widely shared online shows her wearing a headscarf, a full-sleeved blouse and trousers as she danced with male colleagues.
Ms Youssef was dubbed "the Mansoura teacher" by media. After her video spread online, she was fired from her job as an Arabic teacher at a primary school in Dakahlia province.
"My life was destroyed because of the video from an unscrupulous person who tried to tarnish my reputation and brought the camera close to me only to show me in a bad manner," she told journalists, adding that she would take legal action against the person who filmed her without her permission and shared the video online.
According to BBC, the video sparked an outcry among Egyptian conservatives. "Education has reached a low level in Egypt," one person wrote on Twitter. "Teachers are supposed to be role models. This sets a bad example," another said.
However, Ms Youssef found support from women's right activists in her country who called her a victim of a "witch hunt".
The head of the Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights, Dr Nihad Abu Qumsan, offered to help her file a complaint against wrongful dismissal, while a deputy director of a secondary school in Egypt shared photos of herself dancing at her daughter's wedding.
After a wave of support in her favour, local authorities have appointed Ms Youssef as an Arabic teacher at a new school. "The decision of the Education Directorate in Daqahlia to return me to my work made me I feel that part of my life began to return to its nature and that part of my dignity was recovered," she said.
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